Property firm Estate Guru Co, run by a former financier at JPMorgan Chase & Co in the US, plans to launch four new projects worth a combined 1 billion baht next year.

The Wizdom project willcomprise73 townhouses priced at 1.69 million baht to 2.45 million baht.

The company will also launch a project on a7-rai siteon Soi Petchkasem 53 this year, saidchief executiveNat Manasomjit, whoresignedfrom JPMorgan Chase New York in thethirdquarterlast year to joinhis family's propertybusiness.

He saidconstructionof the Blue Line had increased land prices on Phetkasem Road from 90,000-100,000 baht per square wah,stablefor many years, to 150,000-230,000 baht aftermasstransit constructionstarted.

The project, Wizdom, worth 150 million baht, will comprise 73 townhouses priced at 1.69 million baht to 2.45 million baht. Itstargetednetmarginwill be 20%.

Whileshophousesgeneratehigher net margins as high as 35% and are easy to develop and sell, findingsuitableplotsis much more difficult, he said...

..."To be successful in the property business, you need to find just the right location, while the otherfactorsare uncontrollable," he said...